


New Addition

by astudyinfic



Category: Cut & Run - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux, Warrior's Cross - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Genre: Cameron POV, Humor, M/M, Not Beta Read, Post canon, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:27:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24861541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic
Summary: If the people he loved could stop faking their own deaths, Cameron would really appreciate it.
Relationships: Julian Cross/Cameron Jacobs, Liam Bell/Preston
Comments: 16
Kudos: 21





	New Addition

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lumi (Lumieerie)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumieerie/gifts).



> Can be read with [Exes and "Oh!"s](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24789520) as they are set in the same post-canon universe, but reading one is not necessary to read the other.

"Cameron, stay behind me, someone's been here." 

Even after all the time they'd been together, Cameron still didn't know how Julian could tell these things. But that was why Julian sold antiques and Cameron was a waiter. It didn't look like Smith or Wesson had taken a bite out of anyone, though Cameron wouldn't put it past those two cats to clean up after they were done mauling someone.

Julian pulled out his gun and pushed Cameron behind him. "I take that back. Someone's still here." 

Cameron's heart pounded in his chest. It was very rare that he had to deal with that side of Julian's work and he preferred to pretend it didn't happen. Out of sight, out of mind. He wasn't scared, per se. He knew Julian would never let anything happen to him. He just didn't want to see the aftermath. Cameron didn't have the stomach for that kind of work. 

They only made it three steps before Julian let the gun fall to his side. It was so rare to see him confused that Cameron didn't even recognize the expression at first. "You know who it is?" he asked, fairly certain he was right. Julian wouldn't let down his guard unless he was absolutely certain that it was safe. 

"Yes, but it doesn't make sense. He can't be here." 

Oh no. If it was Ty and Zane, Cameron was going to need to go somewhere else. He loved Julian with all his heart but Ty brought out a side of him that was hilarious until it just became grating. No one else made Julian react the way Ty did. 

But if it was Ty, Julian would already be losing his composure, so Cameron felt confident it wasn't them. Blake wouldn't warrant this kind of reaction. So it had to be someone else from Julian's past. Probably someone Cameron didn't know. 

They turned the corner into the living room and Julian raised the gun again. "Explain to me how this is possible before I shoot you right here and now. I heard you die." His accent was thicker than normal, the only sign that he was emotionally invested in what was going on. And only someone who knew Julian well would know that. 

"Sorry, boss. Needed some time. But...I brought you nuggets." Preston stood in front of them, holding out a bag. His slight smile was exactly as Cameron remembered it and he was as flabbergasted as Julian that their friend was standing there in front of them. When Julian told him Preston had died, Cameron had mourned for weeks, which was nothing compared to Julian. He'd been devastated. He and Preston had been friends for so long that Cameron wasn't sure that Julian knew who he was without his driver, associate and friend.

Now, it turned out Preston had been alive all this time. Cameron was rather glad it was Preston and not him. Julian would not let him off that easily. 

"And you! I suppose this is your fault." Only then did Cameron notice the other man standing there, his attention having been fully on Preston. The other man grinned cheekily as if he wasn't being threatened by one of the most dangerous _antiques dealers_ in the world. Not that Julian had come right out and said it. He didn't need to. 

"Cross. Lovely to see you again." The man turned to Cameron and beamed. Cam expected that smile got him whatever he wanted and left whoever it was directed at filled with regret after the man was gone. "And you must be Cameron. I've heard so much about you. Actually, that's a lie, but I have heard of you so that counts for something."

Putting himself between Cameron and the other man, Julian glared at him. "Bell. Word is you died as well. So can you two tell me how it is that you are standing here? And why you are both here? And why I haven't heard anything from you for months?" Julian was hurt and Cameron was as well. He couldn't believe that Preston - the man that had been there almost since the day he met Julian - would avoid them so thoroughly. Cameron, maybe, but never Julian.

"Had to make sure the heat was actually off. Didn't want them to find out where you two were. No one knew." 

"Apparently Bell did."

Preston looked between Julian and the man named Bell. "Yes, well, he is my husband."

If Cameron thought Preston being alive was the shock of the lifetime - particularly after Julian pulled that very trick against him years ago - it was nothing compared to that announcement. 

Aware that he had no idea how Julian would react to such information, Cameron took a step back. Best to give them all some space to work this out. Or attempt to kill each other. It could really go either way with most of the men Cameron found himself surrounded by these days.

The silence dragged on as tension ratcheted up with every second they stood staring at each other. Finally, Julian turned to Preston and asked, "This is the one?" Preston nodded once and Julian nodded in return. Julian offered Bell his hand and something passed between them, some understanding that Cameron couldn't figure out. 

"That's it?" The words were out of his mouth before he had a chance to think them through. Questioning three men who killed people for a living wasn't a smart life choice for anyone. Three heads turned to look at him at the same time and Cameron shrugged. In for a penny... "He disappeared for months, let us think he was dead, and then you just let him off the hook, accept it without any issue?" It had taken him weeks to forgive Julian, even after they'd gotten back together. The betrayal he felt ran deep and now he was going through it all over again. But the last time, everyone else had been upset too. Now, he seemed to be the only person angry.

Preston didn't say anything, Bell grinned which had to be the most threatening expression Cameron had ever seen, and Julian smiled apologetically. "Sorry, dear. You weren't around the last time. Preston has had a _thing_ going on with someone off and on for years. He would never tell me who it was and, to be honest, I briefly feared it was Grady."

"I thought you understood I had better taste than that, sir," Preston replied and for the first time since they'd walked into the house, Cameron grinned. It was nice to have Preston back, even if Cameron was still mad at him. 

"Tyler isn't all bad," Bell offered and he shared a look with Preston that Cameron knew without a doubt he didn't want to understand. Bell winked at Preston who winked back and Cameron realized what he was seeing was Preston _happy_. Truly, truly happy. 

Cameron was mad but it made him happy to see it.

"Tyler isn't all bad? You clearly haven't been handcuffed to every available surface by him over the course of a week. I can assure you that he is absolutely as bad as I say he is." Cam hid his smile behind his hand at Julian's ranting. He could complain all he wanted but Cameron knew that Julian liked Ty. Or at least respected him, which was more than could be said for most people Julian met. But Ty had that talent of getting under Julian's skin even when he wasn't around and Cameron found the whole thing hilarious when people weren't shooting at them. 

He could see both Bell and Julian winding up for a long verbal battle and sighed heavily. They'd only just gotten home. He really wasn't in the mood for any of this. Pushing past Julian, Cameron pulled Preston into a hug. The man hugged him back tentatively and Cameron grinned, knowing he'd thrown the usually unflappable Preston off his game. "I'm still pissed at you because I really didn't want to go through this for a second time but I am glad you are alive. And he is too, even if he's going to pretend to be pissed for a while." He nodded his head in Julian's direction, who glared back at him. Cameron was never scared of Julian, not really, and this time was no exception. He threw a cheeky smile back at his husband and then moved over to the other man. 

Cameron offered his hand to Bell. "I don't know you but I have a feeling we will get to know each other over the coming years. Make him happy or we will make you suffer." Surely the threat didn't mean much coming from someone like Cameron but Bell nodded, all the same, at least pretending to take it seriously.

Turning on his heel, Cameron gave Julian a quick kiss. "Catch up with your friends. I need to make a phone call."

"Oh?" Julian asked. 

"Yeah. I'm going to call Blake and tell him if he ever decides to fake his own death and disappear for months at a time, I'm going to kill all three of you." He glanced over his shoulder at Bell. "You, I haven't decided yet."

He gave Julian another kiss and headed upstairs to make the call. He heard Bell as he climbed the stairs, "For a little guy, he's kind of scary."

"You have no idea," was Julian's reply but Cameron could hear the fondness. He loved that man and the murderous little family they'd created. He supposed that Bell guy would just be the latest addition. Cameron thought he would probably fit in just fine. 

Time would tell.


End file.
